OCEAN’S TWELVE
US, 2004, 120 minutes, Colour.
George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Julia Roberts, Vincent Cassell, Elliot Gould, Don Cheadle, Carl Reiner, Casey Affleck, Scott Caan, Bernie Mac, Eddie Jemeson, Cherry Jones, Eddie Izzard, Robbie Coltrane, Jeroen Krabbe, Bruce Willis, Albert Finney.
Directed by Steven Soderbergh.
It's more of the same. If you enjoyed Oceans Eleven, then why not the sequel?
All the crew are back again. After all, casino owner, Andy Garcia, who was robbed last time, wants his money back – with interest. How can they get the money when so many of them have spent a great deal of it? Another robbery, of course. However, this is not so meticulously planned as the first time. In fact, the screenplay leaves quite a number of holes until the end and I am not sure whether we could all accurately given an account of what happened chronologically if we were interviewed as we came out of the cinema.
The action takes place in more exotic locations than in Las Vegas. There are episodes in Amsterdam, northern Italy, Spain and the main action in Rome. It all looks postcard-attractive.
George Clooney leads the new rat pack with Brad Pitt as his loyal lieutenant (though not as funny as the first time). The funny bits are left to Matt Damon who plays shrewd dimwit very amusingly. Elliot Gould has some good lines too. Pity that Don Cheadle brought his faux London accent back.
There is glamour aplenty with Catherine Zeta Jones. There is glamour lacking with Julia Roberts who looks quite terribly gaunt. However, she has an enjoyable time as her character, Tess, has to facilitate the robbery by pretending to be - Julia Roberts on a visit to Rome. Good fun satirising the cult of celebrities, especially with Bruce Willis there as himself trying to chat up Julia/Tess. Vincent Cassell has a substantial role as their rival cat burglar.
And that's about it.
1.The popularity of the 1960s film, the Rat Pack? The 2000 remake? Entertainment, flair, the strong cast, the ingenious plot? The repetitions and the style of the sequel?
2.The work of the director, popular as well as art style? The strong cast, the fun guests, Julia Roberts’s character impersonating Julia Roberts?
3.The various settings, Terry Benedict and his character, memories of the first film, his henchmen, his visiting all the members of the team, their diverse locations? The American atmosphere, the transition to Amsterdam, Lake Como, Rome? The musical score?
4.The convolutions of the plot, clarity or not, the confidence tricks, the twists, the gaps in the plot, filled in by the flashbacks? Everything clear by the end?
5.The camaraderie in the group, meeting and discussing paying back the money to Terry Benedict, the jokes about each of the characters, Benedict’s confrontations with each of them? The members, their expertise? Not stealing money, the art thefts, the Faberge egg?
6.The audience, response to their robberies, the amoral tone? Breezy and comic?
7.The title, the focus on Danny Ocean, his character, his marriage to Tess, Terry Benedict and the confrontation with Tess, her phone call, buying the jewels, rushing home? The bond between himself and Tess? The bond with the members of the team? Collecting them, acting as leader, the plan, the interactions with Rusty – and Rusty finishing his sentences? The plans, the arch-thief, Lamarck? The transition to Amsterdam, the comic discussion with Robbie Coltrane and Linus not understanding? The artist in Amsterdam, the recluse? The master thief, his home at Lake Como, the stealing of the paintings? The competitiveness, bet with him about stealing the egg? The plan, their lining up at the gallery, their being arrested, in prison? Linus escaping? Their getting out? Tess and her being persuaded to come to Italy, to pretend to be Julia Roberts, the effect of the scam? The flashbacks to what really happened, the substitution of the egg, the plans with the computer expert and the hologram of the egg? Isabella reunited with her father?
8.Rusty and Isabel, their relationship, her talking about catching the thieves, his trying to get away? His being caught by Benedict, running the hotels, glad to be back with the team? His being the deputy? His character, asleep in the plane and Linus talking with him, waking him up? His relationship with Ocean? The relationship with Isabel, the plot, the thefts? Isabel and her work, the police, forging the document, trying to catch the criminals, the confrontation with Tess and getting the autograph, the information about where Julia Roberts really was? Her discovering her father and the reconciliation?
9.Linus, a nice person, a bit slow on the uptake? Ocean and Rusty leading him on? The jokes with Robbie Coltrane and his not comprehending? Trying out? Talking with Rusty on the plane, feeling that he should be promoted? His not being arrested, the plan with Tess as Julia Roberts, his arranging it, posing as the agent? Having to deal with Bruce Willis, the police, getting Tess into the museum, the display, the hurry, the robbery? His being arrested, the others in the group, in jail, the interview with the policewoman – and the irony of it being his mother and the plan for escape?
10.The Englishman, his English patter, his contribution to the team? Virgil and his friend, the wedding, Terry Benedict finding them? Their friendship, on the job, missing the master thief scaling the wall?
11.Frank, his character, early in prison?
12.Sol, old, too old for the scam, Terry Benedict accosting him in the club? His not wanting to participate, his feeling out of it, turning up, his participation in the Julia Roberts scam?
13.Elliot Gould as the accountant, saving his money, participating in the plan, his being arrested?
14.The gymnastic Asian, his participation, the other members of the team?
15.Their all being caught at the gallery, in prison, a cover, their getting out?
16.The activity in Amsterdam, the robbery in Lake Como?
17.The master thief, French, his character, vanity, skills, the bet, disguises and discussions with Isabel, scaling the wall, his acrobatics through the laser beams? His triumph at the end, the irony when Ocean explained what happened, his paying up?
18.Tess and the past relationship with Terry Benedict? Her staying at home, her being tricked to come to Rome, getting her to pose as Julia Roberts, the comic tone, the poking fun at the image of Julia Roberts, pregnant, the celebrity in the hotel, the autograph and her being unmasked?
19.Bruce Willis’s cameo, his friendship with Julia Roberts, his tagging along?
20.Albert Finney as Isabel’s father, the reunion?
21.A 21st century Rat Pack kind of movie – keeping the mood, even more Rat Pack than the original 60s film?
